An Unexpected Opportunity for Corporate Peacebuilding

Jun 15, 2020 | Jonathan Kolieb and Phoebe Wynn-Pope
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A range of Australian companies, from sectors as diverse as apparel, extractives, telecommunications and financial services, have business operations or supply chains in conflict-affected areas. These companies should pay special heed to these areas when performing their modern slavery investigations. Modern slavery in war-ravaged communities is not just an egregious human rights violation – it may also be a war crime.

The definition of modern slavery under the MS Act is expansive, and encompasses occurrences of forced and bonded labour, servitude, the worst forms of child labour, human trafficking, and forced marriage – not merely in Australia but anywhere in the world.[1] Instances of modern slavery often coincide with modern-day armed conflicts. Indeed, they are frequently in a symbiotic relationship, feeding off one another. According to the Global Slavery Index, nine out of the ‘Top 10’ countries for prevalence of modern slavery are impacted by armed conflict. In such areas, modern slavery often exacerbates the conflict and precipitates even more human rights abuses.